Seville derby could lead La Liga restart

La Liga president Javier Tebas has said he hopes a derby between Real Betis and Sevilla will kick the Spanish top-flight season back into action on June 11 after being paused for three months during the coronavirus pandemic.

"There is a possibility that there is a game on June 11, which would be the only match that night and perhaps there will be a tribute to all the people who have died (from the virus)," Tebas told Spanish television network Movistar on Sunday.

"I hope that date can be confirmed and we would like the game to be the Seville derby, kicking off at 10pm."

Spain is set to join Germany and Portugal in resuming matches without spectators after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday that the league would be allowed to start up again from June along with other sectors of the economy.

All organised soccer in Spain was suspended indefinitely on March 12. Spain is among the countries hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, with 235,290 infections and 28,752 people dying.

All non-professional leagues have been cancelled although clubs in the top two divisions have resumed training in groups of up to 10 players.

Tebas said the next objective was to progress to full training.

"Right now that's our main goal, and if we can achieve that then we can start to bring forward the return of the competition. Our aim is to be able to announce the first four rounds of fixtures next week," he added.

"The government's announcement took us by surprise but it shows that professional football is very important to this country."

Champions Barcelona lead La Liga by two points over nearest challengers Real Madrid with 11 matches remaining.

Tebas also said on Sunday that footballers must remember to act responsibly to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus after four Sevilla players broke the Spanish government's rules on social gatherings.

Argentine trio Ever Banega, Lucas Ocampos and Franco Vazquez as well as Dutch striker Luuk de Jong were pictured at a party alongside eight other people over the weekend.

Spain has eased one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe as its coronavirus infection rate has slowed and the death toll has declined, although gatherings of more than 10 people are still not permitted by the guidelines.

The picture, which was posted on Instagram by Banega's wife, also showed a shisha pipe.

"Players are an example to society and should be careful with their actions," Tebas told television network Movistar.

"I call on all footballers to not act like this. We have to be very careful because a lot of people's jobs are at stake.

"Safety is guaranteed at training grounds and matches but I'm worried about other places and parties like this. We should all be very cautious," he added.

The players all issued statements to apologise for their behaviour, which Sevilla published on the club's official Twitter account.

Sevilla did not state whether the players would face disciplinary action and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

All organised soccer in Spain was provisionally suspended on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic although on Saturday the government said the top two divisions could resume from June 8.

Sevilla's derby match with neighbours Real Betis is set to be the first La Liga game to be played when the season resumes next month, with Tebas saying he hopes the match will be played on June 11.